Chapter 15 The FA Cup Final

After a week of hard training, the Liverpool reserve team players ushered in the most important day of their careers.

May 15th, the FA Cup final.

Early this morning, many of the reserve team players were too excited to sleep. They got out of bed, opened their doors, and found that everyone else was the same. So they simply gathered together and started chatting in the hallway.

Chen Hero dreamed that he was surrounded by countless flies. They hovered around him, buzzing their wings incessantly, making him upset and irritable.

Then he was awakened by the noise.

He then realized that the flies weren't in his dream, but real—the corridor outside was already bustling with voices!

He jumped out of bed, opened the door, and saw that the corridor was full of his reserve team teammates.

Someone with keen eyes spotted him and quickly came over to greet him: "Hero, you're up too?"

"Up my ass!" Chen Hero said unhappily. "I was woken up by you guys! What time is it? Why aren't you sleeping? What are you doing out here?"

"Couldn't sleep, hehe..." Someone scratched his head embarrassedly. They were professional players, but they were so nervous about the FA Cup final that they couldn't sleep.

"Yeah, yeah, I just feel... excited when I think about today's game..."

"You're nervous, aren't you, Evans?"

"Get lost!"

A burst of laughter erupted.

Looking at them, Chen Hero couldn't bring himself to blame his teammates. The FA Cup final was indeed very important to them.

Not to mention them, even he was participating in the FA Cup final for the first time.

It's just that he had experienced the Champions League final, so a mere FA Cup final couldn't make him nervous, excited, and unable to sleep.

Chen Hero sighed. "Okay, but can you guys find a place where no one is to chat? I still want to sleep..."

Everyone realized that they had disturbed Chen Hero. Not everyone was as hopeless as them.

Chen Hero had just set a historical record, breaking Dixie Dean's eighty-seven-year-old single-season league goal record.

This matter had been the focus of their discussion these days.

How could such a person be nervous and excited about an FA Cup final and unable to sleep?

So everyone apologized to Chen Hero, and then swarmed into one of their teammates' rooms, continuing to discuss the topic they had been interrupted by Chen Hero.

Watching their backs, Chen Hero shook his head. Actually, he wasn't that old, not even twenty-seven yet, but looking at this group of reserve team players, he felt like an older brother...

Shaking his head, he closed the door and returned to bed.

But once a person is woken up, it's not easy to fall asleep again.

So next, he tossed and turned in bed, trying all kinds of positions, but he just couldn't fall asleep.

In the end, he couldn't lie down anymore, and he sat up.

"Damn it!"

※※※

Chen Hero didn't sleep well. He was yawning constantly, but he just couldn't fall asleep.

Martin O'Neill was worried when he saw him like this.

Chen Hero was the key to this game. If his condition was bad, or if something went wrong, then Liverpool would be in deep trouble. So Martin O'Neill was particularly concerned about Chen Hero's condition.

Seeing Chen Hero yawning constantly, he was worried that Chen Hero had not rested well.

But the reason he thought of was that Chen Hero was also worried and nervous about leading such a reserve team to participate in the FA Cup final, so he didn't sleep well all night.

"Hero..." He found Chen Hero, wanting to understand the situation.

"Ah, boss—yawns—" Chen Hero yawned as soon as he opened his mouth. "What's up..."

"What's wrong with you?" O'Neill pointed to Chen Hero's sleepy face and asked.

"Uh... nothing, I was woken up by them in the morning and haven't been able to fall asleep since." Chen Hero pointed to his still-excited reserve team teammates in the distance.

"Then do you want to go back to sleep for a while? You don't have to participate in the morning strength training."

When had Martin O'Neill ever been so kind and considerate to a player?

Chen Hero was unique, but he also deserved the coach's concern.

Chen Hero shook his head and refused.

"It's okay, boss—yawns—" He waved his hand while yawning, "Really, it's okay..."

Martin O'Neill looked at Chen Hero like this, and tears were about to be squeezed out of his eyes. He frowned.

Is it really okay?

※※※

This time, when the Liverpool reserve team players stepped onto Wembley Stadium again to do the final warm-up for the game, their performance was much more normal than last time. Although some people were still muttering to themselves, at least they wouldn't squat down and touch the grass to feel if it was real.

After warming up, they returned to the locker room and began to make final preparations before the game.

Martin O'Neill had been observing Chen Hero's performance. He found that Chen Hero was quite normal during the warm-up. It seemed that he was just a little sleepy when he woke up... Now he was fine.

When he returned to the locker room, everyone was already inside, and the players were changing clothes.

He didn't disturb them, but waited until everyone had changed their clothes before saying, "Okay, now listen to me, gentlemen."

Everyone quieted down and looked up at him.

"This is your last game. You have worked hard all the way to get to this point, which is not easy. But now is not the time to be happy, because there is still the last hurdle. If you lose this game, then all your previous efforts and sweat will be meaningless. People will only remember the champion, not the runner-up, even if your runner-up is a bit different."

"This is the final, and the biggest difference between it and the semi-final is that you have lost your mystery. No one will underestimate you anymore and give you a chance to take advantage of. Opportunities like the semi-final against Tottenham will not happen again. I bet you have been thoroughly studied by Chelsea, which can be seen from their cautious attitude before the game. So don't fantasize about the opponent being arrogant and underestimating you, and then being defeated by you. Put aside all fantasies and prepare to face a very difficult game!"

Everyone's expressions gradually became serious.

When Martin O'Neill said this, he also took the time to glance at Chen Hero to see what his reaction was.

Chen Hero had no reaction. He sat there, expressionless, looking very calm.

"Chelsea are very strong. They haven't won a single championship this season, and the FA Cup is their last hope. They will definitely do their best in this game. So you have to grit your teeth and persevere in this game. Remember each of your tasks, and strictly follow them on the field. Just do your own thing. As long as each of you does your own thing well, it will eventually become a great force enough to change the outcome of the game!"

O'Neill's words made them feel excited. Their strength was indeed very weak, and they were not on the same level as Chelsea at all.

But the boss was right, as long as each of us does our job well and completes our tasks, we can reduce Chen Hero's worries, and he can use all his energy on scoring goals.

Although we can't score goals, and we are not eye-catching, and Chen Hero does all the things that make us shine, we can still change the game! Small people can also create history!

The reserve team's tactics in this game are no different from those in the semi-final. They are all about defending the penalty area to ensure that no goals are conceded, so that Chen Hero's goal-scoring pressure in the frontcourt will be less. Otherwise, if Chen Hero scores one goal in the front and they concede two in the back, even if Chen Hero is possessed by God, it will be useless.

As for the attacking tactics, it is even simpler. Just find Chen Hero when you have the ball and make full use of Chen Hero's personal ability. In addition, Chen Hero has just broken Dixie Dean's record and is currently in the limelight. Even if Chelsea wants to face his sharpness head-on, they probably have to weigh whether they have the ability to do so.

※※※

When the players from both sides lined up in the tunnel preparing to enter the field, the Chelsea players did not look at the Liverpool reserve team players with contemptuous eyes like the Tottenham players did.

Their expressions were very serious, and they were also very focused.

Reserve team captain Spearing was secretly observing his opponents. Seeing Chelsea like this, he knew that this game would definitely be difficult.

When a team like Chelsea gets serious, Liverpool has to be prepared to be beaten up by the opponent.

He began to worry faintly, wondering if his teammates could hold on.

What if they concede a goal first?

Would it cause the team to collapse?

Chen Hero alone couldn't stop this trend, right?

Spearing was worried about this and that, but Chen Hero, wearing the captain's armband, stood at the front of the line, not even turning his head, just standing there, motionless.

After Spearing noticed this, he couldn't help but admire Chen Hero. Although Chen Hero was indeed very strong, football games were not a one-man show after all, so it still depended on how strong his team was. Looking at him now, does he have absolute trust in his teammates?

Thinking of this, Spearing felt ashamed.

He was the captain of the reserve team, and he had the most contact with the reserve team teammates and had the deepest feelings for them. But at the critical moment, he actually didn't believe in his teammates as much as Chen Hero did...

He lowered his head and blamed himself.

But before long, including him, as well as Martin O'Neill, everyone knew why Chen Hero seemed so calm...

Yes, they would never have imagined the reason...